


Alec Lightwood is Completely Fine (He's Not)

by IntrovertedRavenclaw



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec is the worst patient ever, Caring Magnus Bane, Fainting, Fever, Fluff, M/M, Magnus is going crazy, Sick Alec Lightwood, Sickfic, Sleepy Alec Lightwood, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Whump, so much of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 16:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15344349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrovertedRavenclaw/pseuds/IntrovertedRavenclaw
Summary: In which Alec doesn't take care of himself, then gets a terrible cold and a lecture on self-preservation.





	Alec Lightwood is Completely Fine (He's Not)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay wow longest fic I've written in a long time. This was originally gonna be like a 500 word drabble here we are?

" _Bless_ you," Isabelle says enthusiastically, as Alec sneezes a second time. "Are you sure you should be going out on patrol today? I know you're not feeling so well."

"I'm feeling fine," Alec sniffles. He has a box of tissues residing on his desk, and he takes a few to blow his nose. 

"Sure..." She eyes him skeptically. "And if I call Magnus, he'll agree that you're okay to go out on patrol?"

"By the angel, Izzy, I'm fine." Alec sneezes again, groaning softly at the pressure in his head. He brings another tissue to his running nose, which sets off another sneeze. 

"Okay. Fine." Isabelle says. "If you can go five minutes without sneezing or coughing, then I won't argue with you anymore." 

"Not fair," Alec grumbles. He barely makes it thirty seconds before he sneezes, and within two minutes he's had a full-blown coughing fit. 

"You know you couldn't possibly fight off a demon or a rogue vampire or anything else in this state," she says. 

Alec frowns, but he knows that his sister is right. He probably wouldn't be able to hold his bow steady anyway, on account of the constant tickle in every orifice of his face. 

"Don't worry," Isabelle tries to reassure him. "I'll get Jace to cover for you."

"I'll stay here and finish some paperwork." Alec croaks. His throat is starting to hurt now, and his aching body is glad that he doesn't have to move for another few hours, at least. 

"If you're still working in two hours, I'm calling Magnus." Isabelle threatens, and then she leaves Alec's office, her hair swishing enchantingly behind her. 

Time passes in a haze. Alec can feel his vision going blurry, and he has to reread the same line of a report five times before he can even begin to make sense of it. He's sneezed all over the papers multiple times, but he can't bring himself to care. 

"Hey," someone says from the doorway and Alec jumps. Jace is leaning casually into the office. "Izzy says you're sick."

"I'm not," Alec protests, his words coming out as more of a slow gurgle than anything else. Jace raises an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I'm a tad under the weather. But I'll be fine. I have work to do."

"Okay, well I'm ordering food if you're hungry," Jace says nonchalantly.

Alec sniffles. "No. I'm not hungry." 

"Alright," Jace starts to leave and then turns back at the last second. "I know you're sicker than you say you are. I can feel it." Then he leaves.

Alec continues to work, his head growing progressively more troublesome and his sneezes increasing in frequency. When Isabelle checks up on him sometime later, he's coughing painfully and in a state of complete and utter misery. So of course, she calls Magnus.

"Yes, he's been sneezing like crazy, coughing, and is just really tired," Isabelle explains on the phone. "Sure, hold on." 

Alec stifles a groan as she jostles his shoulder, then she hands him the phone. "Hello?"

"Dear god, Alexander. You sound terrible." Magnus says. 

"Not you too," Alec grumbles. "I'm fine. I'm just doing paperwork, not going out on a mission."

"Are you really fine?"

Alec hesitates. "Yes."

"You hesitated," Magnus points out. 

"I'm okay. Seriously," Alec stresses. "I'm just finishing up this one thing and I'll come home."

* * *

 

An hour later, Alec puts on his jacket, gathers up paperwork to take home, and as an afterthought, grabs the box of tissues from off of his desk. He feels disgusting and is sure he looks the part too, so he opts for the long way, hoping to not run into anybody. Just as he's nearing the doors, he walks right into somebody. 

"Sorry," Alec coughs. 

"Going home?" Underhill asks. "You don't look so good."

Alec groans. "Yeah. It's just a cold, I'm totally fine."

"Sure," Underhill replies easily. "Feel better."

"Thanks," Alec sniffles. 

He makes it home without incident (although the subway ride is miserable) and Magnus has dinner waiting. 

"Hungry?" Magnus asks cheerfully. 

"Not really," Alec sniffles thickly. 

Magnus' easy smile falls. "Have you eaten or drank today at all?"

"Yes," Alec answers. Magnus looks relieved. "I had a glass of water earlier."

"Alexander!" 

"I don't feel like eating," Alec groans. His throat hurts too badly to even think about swallowing. 

"Are you nauseous?" Magnus asks. 

"I'm fine," Alec says.  

Magnus places a palm on Alec's forehead and his face twists into a frown. "Sweetheart, you have a fever. You're obviously not fine."

Alec is too tired to reply, so he shrugs. 

Magnus takes Alec into his arms. "Do you want to go to bed early tonight?"

Alec wants to cry out of relief. Every part of his body aches. "Please."

He falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. He's dimly aware of Magnus tucking the duvet around him and kissing his forehead before climbing in bed beside him.

Alec hopes that a good night's sleep will fix this whole thing, but he wakes up feeling even worse. He's overslept; Magnus isn't in bed anymore and Alec has never woken up after him. Stumbling, Alec makes his way out to the kitchen, where Magnus sits, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Hey," Alec croaks out, wincing at the pain in his throat.

"Do you want breakfast?" Magnus asks. Alec shakes his head. "You really should eat something."

"I have to go to the Institute," Alec says. "I think I'm late."

"You're too sick."

"I'm fine." Alec sniffles. 

"I already called Isabelle," Magnus counters. "Please sit down, you look pale." 

"Magnus-" Alec starts to say but coughs harshly instead. He winces as the cough sends a sharp pain through his chest. "I can't... stay home."

Magnus sighs exasperatedly. "Well, I guess I can't stop you."

* * *

 

Alec knows that he made a mistake as soon as he steps into the ops center. The bright lights and noise exacerbate his headache; turning the slight ache into a sharp pounding. His lungs crackle with congestion every time he breathes too deeply, causing him to cough, and coughing makes his chest hurt. He resolves to just tough it out- again- and spends the day going between his office and the ops center. He feels worse as the hours pass, and he has a feeling that he'll crash soon as he stumbles dizzily into the ops center in the late afternoon. 

"Whoa," Underhill says, coming up behind him. "Didn't expect to see you here today."

Alec just shrugs halfheartedly, having no energy for a proper reply. 

"Still sick?" the blond shadowhunter asks sympathetically. 

Alec smiles weakly, trying desperately not to cough. "Yeah. This cold is really..." he coughs harshly into his sleeve, his eyes watering slightly at the pain in his chest. 

"You should go home."

"I'm okay," Alec mutters, grabbing onto the side of a table for support. He wonders if his fever has risen because he's suddenly the room is spinning more than before and his face feels too hot. He feels like he should definitely sit down, but before he's able to articulate it, darkness takes over. 

* * *

 

"Idiot," Isabelle says. 

Alec cracks open his eyes and is surprised to find himself laying on the floor of the ops center. "Wait... W-what happened?"

"You fainted."

"Obviously," Alec says. 

"It's good to see you still have your sarcasm." Isabelle comments. 

"Yeah, okay." Alec tries to sit up, but his sister pushes him back down. 

"Lay down," she says firmly. "I called Magnus. You should've stayed at the loft, especially if you felt worse."

Alec doesn't even try to argue. "How long was I out?"

"Just a few minutes," Isabelle answers. "I think you're dehydrated."

"Can we move?" Alec asks. "I don't like this... out in the open. I don't want everyone to see me laying here."

"You should've thought of that before you fainted."

"Izzy!" Alec protests. 

Magnus comes rushing through a portal, stopping to take in Alec laying on the floor. "Oh, god." 

"I'm not _dying_ , Magnus." Alec groans. 

Magnus drops to his knees beside Alec and conjures a cool, damp washcloth, which he rests on Alec's forehead. "Wanna go home?"

Alec softens. It suddenly takes all of his energy to not cry. He realizes how miserable he feels and just nods weakly. 

"Okay, do you think you can sit up slowly?" Isabelle asks. Alec pulls himself into a sitting position, leaning heavily on Magnus. "You alright? Can you stand, or do you want to sit for a while?"

"I'll stand." Alec murmurs, leaning on Magnus to stand up. "I can portal, 'm fine."

As soon as they get to the loft, Alec sits down on the couch and Magnus puts his palm on his forehead.

"You're burning up," Magnus says worriedly. "What hurts? And don't lie to me and say you're fine, I know you're not."

"My head, my throat, and my chest, but only when I cough." Alec sniffles. "I'm also really stuffy and really, really tired."

"Have you eaten today? Or had any water at least?" 

Alec shakes his head. Magnus summons a glass of water and hands it to him.

"Drink this, I'll go find something for the fever." 

Magnus returns with two vials of potions. 

Alec wrinkles his nose. "I'm not drinking that."

"Oh, stop being difficult." Magnus chuckles. "One is for the fever, and the other is for all of your aches and pains. You'll feel much better, I promise."

"Can I sleep?"

"I want you to eat something and take these first," Magnus says. "Anything in particular you feel like?" When Alec doesn't answer, Magnus summons a bowl of soup. "It would be good if you ate at least half of this. You'll feel a little better, I promise."

Glaring at Magnus, Alec takes a bite of soup. For all of his defiance, he has to admit that the soup soothes his inflamed throat, and his swallows are less painful. "Okay, yeah. That's..."

"Better, right?" Magnus encourages. "Eat. It'll get your strength up."

Alec manages most of the soup and a glass of water before he's on the verge of falling asleep. Magnus shakes him awake gently and presses a vial of a potion into his hand. Alec groans.

"Take this," Magnus instructs. Alec is too tired to protest and downs the potion, albeit gagging a little at the taste. Immediately, Magnus hands him another, which he swallows quickly, wincing at it passes his swollen throat. 

"'m tired," he sighs. 

"Go to sleep."

"Am I getting a lecture on taking care of myself?" Alec croaks, as he adjusts his position on the couch so that he's lying down. 

"I'll save it for when you're feeling better," Magnus chuckles. "Would you rather be in bed?"

Alec hums noncommittally. "Don't wanna move."

Alec can't keep his eyes open anymore, but as he drifts off, he can feel Magnus removing his shoes and laying a blanket over him. 

* * *

When Alec wakes up, the loft is dark, except for a light on in the kitchen. Coughing a little, Alec wraps himself up in the blanket and stumbles towards the kitchen, where he finds Magnus measuring out a few potions. 

"Hey," Alec says softly.

"How do you feel?" Magnus asks.

"Uh... Better than earlier." He sniffles. "How long was I asleep?"

Magnus looks at the clock. "Five hours."

"Really?" Alec coughs. "That's like, a full night of sleep."

Magnus sighs heavily. "You need to stop."

"What?" With his sluggish and feverish brain, Alec isn't following. 

"Your sense of self-preservation concerns me," Magnus says. "You work and work and work, and you take care of your family all the time, but in the meantime, you don't sleep, eat, or de-stress in any way."

Alec tries to sigh but only successfully coughs painfully. "This is the lecture on taking care of myself." 

"Yes," Magnus chuckles. "But in all seriousness, you need to have time for yourself and seriously, take it easy when you start feeling sick. Look how sick you are right now, just because you tried to be a goddamn martyr about it."

"I know that, it's just..." Alec pauses, searching for the words. "I'm a shadowhunter. My job is to put other's needs before my own. Especially my family. I'm not stepping out of my duties for a _head cold_ , Magnus." 

"This is not just a head cold," Magnus snaps. "Or at least, it's not just a head cold anymore. You made it worse for yourself because you never took a moment to slow down. Now, by the looks of it, you probably have bronchitis."

Alec coughs, deflating. He wants to dissolve into a puddle of misery. "I don't have time for that."

"I've talked to Isabelle and Jace. They said that the Institute will be fine if you're out for a week." 

" _One_ day," Alec negotiates.

"Five."

"Three."

"Fine." Magnus softens. "For sure three days of rest, then if you're still not one hundred percent by then, you'll take another day or two off." 

"I'm sorry," Alec coughs again, wincing at the stab in his chest. "I should've listened to you. You usually know what you're talking about."

Magnus laughs. "I'm sorry for blowing up like that. I just hate seeing you so sick."

Alec pulls Magnus into a hug, resting his aching head on top of Magnus'. "I love you."

"I love you too, Alexander." Magnus smiles. "Do you want to go to bed, maybe watch a movie until you fall asleep?" Alec nods, still holding Magnus hostage with a hug.

* * *

 

"Well, you don't have a fever anymore. You're still coughing a little though, so-"

"I'm fine. Like, actually fine. It doesn't hurt my chest anymore, and my throat isn't sore."

"Okay, your house arrest is up. But if you start feeling sick again come home and-"

"Magnus, I'm okay."

"Alright. Have a good day. Love you."

"Love you too."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I love comments :)


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